


Is this it

by sammytheseeker



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:27:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22377193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sammytheseeker/pseuds/sammytheseeker
Summary: A College AU I'm currently having a lot of fun with :)
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

“You know you can’t keep that here,” Jaskier mumbled while inconspicuously shuffling through the pile of yellow papers balancing on the edge of the slightly wobbly table.   
Geralt smacked his hand down on the graded papers and Jaskier pulled his arm away dramatically.  
“I know.”  
The cat in front of him wouldn’t budge from the keyboard, even when Jaskier had asked nicely, so Geralt leaned back and cleared off the desk around it. He'd found it in the parking lot a while back, a small pile of shivering silver fur. Coming closer, he had realized some of the fur was sticky with blood. Not much of it was its own but instead was soaking through a bigger cats fur that was lying next to it. He really hadn't had much of a choice when the kitten had looked up at him.

The last rays of sunshine were disappearing behind the neighbouring building and he hadn’t managed to finish all his work. He was still sharing the little space with the other research assistant who had welcomed the feline guest nicer than he had Geralt. The library would be another option but Jaskier showing up for a surprise visit in his office on a friday evening usually meant different plans.  
“It needs a real home, where it can move around and hide places.”   
“I know.”  
“And a name,” he added.   
“It’s a She,” Geralt said. He packed up his bag and opened the window again, leaving enough space for his guest to leave if she wanted to.  
"You look like a princess...yes you do", Jaskier purred at the cat while petting her grey fur. Geralt shook his head and opened the door for them. “You know, we’re playing at an off-campus party tonight.”  
There it was.   
“Oh?”  
“I’m not sure where the idea came from. We set everything up this afternoon but the place is strange.”   
Geralt locked the door behind them and shouldered the student papers he’d still have to take a look at. None of this had even been in his job description, but the pay was decent and they did provide him with a place to sleep. He was barely out of university himself and professors had appreciated his flexibility, which had landed him this research position as his third temporary job. A lot of his flexibility had to do with him burying himself in work as soon as he got the chance to. Idleness didn’t suit him well and brooding usually didn’t make him sleep any better.  
They followed a long corridor of doors lining offices similar to his own.   
“...and I think it’s a sorority, but not an official one...”   
There was Jaskier, who dragged him out of his work from time to time.   
“...I mean, just for emotional support…”  
He had been in a different county for his last job and he hadn’t seen him for almost a year and he hadn’t made any new friends. Or tried to.   
“...and if you could, you can distract her weird friend so we can get some time alone.”  
He wasn’t actually sure he wanted more of this.   
“What?”  
“You’ll come?” Jaskier was already rummaging through the pockets of his jeans until he finally pulled out a slip of crumpled paper.   
“Absolutely not,” Geralt said, but took the paper anyway. He didn’t even know the street name, so it couldn’t be too close to campus. “Where is this, anyway?”  
“I’m sure the food will be good at least. But change first, you can’t come like...this,” he gestured up and down his friend carefully.   
“Like what?” Geralt wasn’t sure what part to be offended by, but that he probably should be.  
“You smell funky.”  
That was fair.   
“And there’s some cat hair,” Jaskier added helpfully.  
“Fine.”

\---

The house didn’t look very strange when Geralt pulled up to it. The road was packed with cars but the house didn’t have any of the badges with the sorority name on it like they usually did. It seemed to simply be a privately rented house for students to share in an area that was more affordable and further off the town center.  
When he entered, he felt it looked like it should be impossible to fit everyone. The light was very dimmed but every nook seemed crowded with people, some looking like they just came here from class.

He quickly scanned the room for any familiar faces and at least managed to see where Jaskier and his band had been setting up.   
“There is no proper food,” Geralt sighed. Jaskier gestured towards the tables set up near what he assumed was a kitchen area. “There’s nowhere to sit.”   
“You’ll manage. The food really isn’t bad.”  
Geralt leaned back in a corner watching Jaskier play his set, occasionally doing a loop through the room to try more snacks. Someone handed him a glass of something green and slightly shiny he had seen in a lot of guests’ hands already and he settled down leaning against the wall near the snacks. 

He didn't meet a lot of students face to face at work, so he wasn't expecting anyone to realize he wasn't a student to begin with, but some guests seemed to have long left classes and grades behind them. As with most parties, the pets seemed to always find him. He wasn’t even a cat person - so much more of a dog person - but they appeared to seek him out. This time it was a black tabby pushing its head against his leg.   
"Having a good time?" an amused female voice behind him asked.  
He turned around to see a young smiling woman pointing at his drink. "I made it myself, first one. I'm Triss."  
The night turned fuzzy for him and washed away in a pool of green drinks and frustratingly tiny foods.


	2. Chapter 2

When he came back to himself, he first noticed he wasn’t alone. He was sitting in a glorified armchair with a girl leaning on his shoulder, having left a little patch of drool on his shirt. He shifted carefully out of the chair, careful not to wake the girl he dimly remembered from last night. They were alone in this room, her room, he figured, but the door wasn’t closed.   
He’d joined the party to support Jaskier and make sure everyone got home safely, but he seemed to have failed at this one basic task.   
Geralt peeked out of the room and found the house still dark and quiet with the sun still weak barely casting light onto the area where the instruments from last night were still set up. He could walk out casually and check if Jaskier was still around somewhere and otherwise go around and see if he was back at the dorms.   
The entire floor seemed to smell like the green stuff Triss had been handing out the night before, a little sweet and heavy. His hands were still sticky from the drinks he must have had.   
The sudden sound of dishes clattering in the kitchen knocked him out of his thoughts. For a moment was unsure if he should be hiding or saying Hello. A bearded face looked up at him over the refrigerator door when he stepped in. The boy was leaning against it, he couldn't be much older than 20.  
“Oh, hey. Would you mind bringing this upstairs? I’m not feeling too well,” he groaned, holding a glass towards him. Geralt snached it from his hands quickly, before the student could spill the mysterious contents while swaying against the door. He gave the glass a careful sniff, holding it between thumb and middle finger like it might be a dangerous concoction.  
“Is this apple juice?”  
“First door on the right.”  
Geralt watched the boy clumsily pull a sweater over his head and move towards the door. How was it always him ending up with other people's problems in his hands? He should be setting the glass down and walking out that door as well, but curiosity was getting the better of him.  
The wooden stairs creaked noisily when he stepped on them. The way up appeared like an obstacle course, pieces of clothing, bottles and plates with bits of food on them lining the way. Geralt cringed a bit when he opened the door. The room appeared to be empty and dark aside from a night light on one of the bedside tables. Clothes were covering nearly every surface and piling up on the chair in front of a vanity. But dominating the room was the huge bed with a mess of pillows and blankets that made him think of the tiny rickety thing he was currently using.   
Geralt stepped back outside to make sure he'd gone to the right room.  
"Honey, did you bring my juice?" A slim arm was pushing out of the pile of blankets like a snake.  
"Uhm," he stammered, caught off guard. He did, technically, he guessed, "Yes."  
The hand disappeared and the young woman in the bed sat up, pushing the messy wave of black hair out of her face.  
The first thing he noticed was that she wasn't wearing any clothes and his eyes shot up to meet hers. Not that he didn't want to look. She didn't seem particularly bothered, as she stretched out her arms, blankets pooling at her hips, and motioned for the glass in Geralt's hand.  
"I didn't see you yesterday," he said, forcing his gaze towards the window while she drank. He wasn't sure why his legs weren't moving out the door, just that he needed to look at her again without coming off like a creep. Maybe that ship had sailed already.  
"I was busy." She squeezed the glass between the other dishes on the nightstand and crawled out of bed to nonchalantly look for her clothes. "And I don't take part in Philippa's…," She bit her lips and thought for a moment, "...festivities".  
Getting nervous around women wasn't something he did, usually. But nothing about this felt usual. He had had an easy time talking to Triss, but she didn't make him feel like this either. He couldn’t help but note how she had to stand on tiptoes to reach high enough to pluck a stocking from a lamp and he wondered how exactly it had gotten there and if she’d been with the boy from downstairs.  
"Do you see my second boot anywhere?"  
"What?"  
She had thrown over a thin shirt and was holding up a high, black boot and he suddenly really needed air.  
"No... I'll check outside. Give you some privacy," he mumbled and made sure to close the door behind him. He took a deep breath. Hushed voices were coming from downstairs. Jaskier would probably know her, he figured. The singer knew everyone or at least something about everyone. His hands were cool as he rubbed his eyes. Now that he came to his senses, he noticed the thumps of a headache announcing itself in the back of his head.   
Of course the missing boot was sitting outside leaning against the banister. Of course it would be. He picked it up and sighed. 

When he slipped back inside, the blinds had been opened but the room was empty. Geralt tried to get a better look at the clothes and knicknacks strewn around, putting together a picture of the person living here. A desk on the other side of the bed, covered in papers and a bookshelf next to it. Running his finger along the covers, he figured she must be a Physics major. Something along those lines. Maybe he would get a chance to ask.   
“Perfect, you found it,” he heard her behind him and jerked away from her papers. “Are people up downstairs?”   
“Heard some voices, yeah.” He wasn’t sure if he was glad to see her dressed, even if he did enjoy the tight black jeans and boots on her. “Are you joining?”  
“I’ll take the back exit.” She smiled, the first smile he’d seen on her and he’d like to see a lot more of them. But she already had one leg out the window.


End file.
